Standing for the Voiceless: A Day in Manchester
On January 2, 2025, I stood on the streets of Manchester, Connecticut, with a simple yet profound purpose: to be a voice for the voiceless. With a sign proclaiming “Equal Rights for All Human Beings,” I joined my friend John Howard in our shared mission to abolish abortion. John is a faithful servant of this cause, dedicating twenty minutes a day to stand as a witness in various locations across his home turf. Today, I had the privilege of standing with him at a busy intersection, a location bustling with cars and people—a prime spot to share the truth.
Our presence wasn’t about causing a scene or intimidating anyone; it was about standing for justice and reminding our community of the humanity of the unborn. At its core, abortion is the intentional destruction of innocent human lives. It is a moral and spiritual crisis, a reality that demands our confrontation with God’s Word, which declares in Exodus 20:13, “Thou shalt not kill.”
As I stood with my sign, I encountered a range of reactions—some positive, others negative. One man stopped to talk, agreeing with the need to abolish abortion but confessing his struggles to find a good church. Another person gave a thumbs-up, showing their support, while others scoffed, flashed gestures, or shook their heads in disapproval. Each reaction reminded me that our message cuts to the heart, challenging people to confront what they believe about human life and justice.
In these moments, I was struck by the spiritual weight of our mission. Proverbs 24:11-12 commands us: “Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, ‘Behold, we did not know this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?” As Christians, we are called to stand in the gap, to be the conscience of a society that has turned a blind eye to the slaughter of innocent lives.
Much of our work involves simply standing, bearing witness to the reality of abortion. The intersection where we stood was near a local abortion clinic—a place I call a “murder mill.” Here, mothers are given the means to end the lives of their own children, often through abortion pills that starve and poison their babies. Many women are left to endure excruciating pain, both physical and emotional, as they expel the remains of their children. The process is dehumanizing for everyone involved, driven by an industry more concerned with profit than with life.
Abortion is not just a political issue; it is a deeply spiritual one. The church cannot remain silent or confined to its four walls. Pietism—the idea that faith should only be practiced privately—has rendered many Christians passive in the face of great evil. But the Bible calls us to action. Proverbs 31:8-9 says, “Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.”
The wind was bitterly cold that day, but it was nothing compared to the suffering of the unborn. As I stood there, I reflected on the disintegration of our society, which mirrors the disintegration of individual hearts estranged from God. Our nation is crumbling from within, judged by God for its sins, chief among them the murder of its own children. Yet there is hope. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, hearts can be regenerated, consciences awakened, and lives transformed.
To those who passed by, I may have been just another man with a sign. But for some, my presence was a catalyst for reflection, perhaps even repentance. The work we do may seem small, but it is significant. Every sign, every conversation, every moment of standing in the cold is an opportunity to glorify God and fight for justice.
As I packed up my sign and prepared to leave, I prayed for those who had seen our message. I prayed for the mothers contemplating abortion, for the fathers complicit in their silence, and for a society that desperately needs to turn back to God. Abortion must be abolished—not regulated, not incrementally reduced, but abolished entirely.
To God be the glory.
Norman Harold Patterson Jr
You can see the whole video here.